s the
best place in all the world," replied Grandfather Frog gruffly.

"But there is something the matter," insisted Jerry Muskrat, and then he
told what he had discovered.

"I don't believe it," said Grandfather Frog. "I never heard of such a
thing in the springtime."

CHAPTER VIII: Grandfather Frog Watches His Toes

Grandfather Frog sat among the bulrushes on the edge of the Smiling
Pool. Over his head Mr. Redwing was singing as if his heart would burst
with the very joy of springtime.

"Tra-la-la-lee, see me! See me!
Happy am I as I can be!
Happy am I the whole day long
And so I sing my gladsome song."

Of course Mr. Redwing was happy. Why shouldn't he be? Here it was the
beautiful springtime, the gladdest time of all the year, the time when
happiness creeps into everybody's heart. Grandfather Frog listened. He
nodded his head. "Chugarum! I'm happy, too," said Grandfather Frog. But
even as he said it, a little worried look crept into his big goggly eyes
and then down to the corners of his big mouth, which had been stretched
in a smile. Little by little the smile grew smaller and smaller, until
there wasn't any smile. No, Sir, there wasn't any smile. Instead of
looking happy, as he said he felt, Grandfather Frog actually looked
unhappy.

The fact is he couldn't forget what Jerry Muskrat and Little Joe Otter
had told him--that there was something the matter with the Smiling
Pool. He didn't believe it, not a word of it. At least he tried to make
himself think that he didn't believe it. They had said that the water
in the Smiling Pool was growing lower and lower, just as it did in the
middle of summer, in the very hottest weather. Now Grandfather Frog is
very old and very wise, and he had never heard of such a thing happening
in the springtime. So he wouldn't believe it now. And yet--and yet
Grandfather Frog had an uncomfortable feeling that something was wrong.
Ha! he knew now what it was! He had been sitting up to his middle in
water, and now he was sitting with only his toes in the water, and he
couldn't remember having changed his position!

"Of course, I moved without thinking what I was doing," muttered
Grandfather Frog, but still the worried look didn't leave his face. You
see he just couldn't make himself believe what he wanted to believe, try
as he would.

"Chugarum! I know what I'll do; I'll watch my toes!" exclaimed
Grandfather Frog.

So Grandfather Frog waded out into the water unti